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Castelli was one of the three men in the "choreography by Balanchine" series from Dance in America who partnered in Divertimento No. 15 adagios. He partnered Maria Calegari in the first pas de deux, and Marjorie Spohn in the fourth pas de deux. (If the entire ballet had been taped, he would have danced one of the two "themes" in the opening movement.) There's a small photo of the two of them in the Nonesuch DVD liner notes, showing his lovely tendu back. He had such lovely line.

He was also in the corps of Stravinsky Violin Concerto. I believe he is the man on the far stage right side of Kay Mazzo in the first of eight sections of the First Movement, and the back (upstage) of the two men who enter jumping after Peter Martins' solo in the eight part, and later the upstage left corner of the square of four men who do continuous jumps. His final pose in the movement is extended and very noble.

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The New York Public Library has a lot of that was done beginning c 1973 when he must have been very young. There are also quite a few films that show him rehearsing others. In addition I didn't know that he was one of the New York City Ballet dancers that appeared in the corps de ballet of the Ruth Page film of the Merry Widow with Peter Martins and Patricia McBride. I made a short list of some films that feature him in solo roles.

Ondine. Danced by Colleen Neary and Victor Castelli, with Maria Calegari, Linda Homek, Catherine Morris, Kyra Nichols, and Carol-Marie Strizak.

Union Jack. Part III. Royal Navy. First section danced by Victor Castelli and others.

Vienna Waltzes. Explosions-Polka. Music: Johann Strauss, Jr. Danced by Sara Leland, Victor Castelli, and ensemble.

I'm Old Fashioned. Jerome Robbins directs a rehearsal of the sixth variation from I'm old fashioned. The male solo is rehearsed by Bart Cook and Victor Castelli; a female solo, which was cut from the final version of the ballet, is rehearsed by Maria Calegari and Darci Kistler.

Agon (approx. 27 min.). Perf. by Daniel Duell, Wilhelmina Frankfurt, and Renée Estópinal (first pas de trois); Maria Calegari, Victor Castelli, and Peter Frame (second pas de trois); Heather Watts and Mel Tomlinson (pas de deux); with Helene Alexopoulos, Carole Divet, Linda Homek, and Catherine Morris.

Not to mention a Stanley Williams class filmed in 1973 in which the list of students is given as including Helgi Tomasson, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, Joseph Duell, Robert Weiss, Edward Villella, Christopher D'Amboise, and Victor Castelli.

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If my memory serves me well, Victor was 19 or 20 in 1973. The years have passed so quickly, it just seems like yesterday.

Victor was a very talented young man, with a burning desire to dance as a very young man. Ford Foundation Scholarship in the early years of the award, before he went to SAB full-time.

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